Okay, so I’m sitting here in my office, trying to shuffle around my writing schedule for the year. I’ve turned book three of the Beautifully Broken series in to my editor and now…. my schedule needs some attention. I could use YOUR help in deciding what to write this year. I’d like to know what YOU want to read! 🙂

I have a couple of brand new story ideas floating around in my head, so hopefully those will gt written sometime this year. But in addition to those, I’m thinking that Brand (from the Beautifully Broken series) needs his own book. If I wrote Brand’s story, would you want to read it?

Thank you VERY much for your help. I wish I had more hours in the day so that I could write every story in my head, but until that happens, I really am interested in what you would most like to see from me. 🙂

Before I begin my interview with Hades on this seventh day of my contest, I just want to say that I’m absolutely heartbroken about the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School. As I watched the interviews yesterday on the news, my heart just shattered. And I’m heartbroken still. It’s an unimaginable, horrible thing. My prayers are with the victims and their families during this horrible time. I fell asleep last night praying about them, actually, and I will continue to pray for them. I don’t usually speak of religious things in public forums, but it is my belief that God is the only one who can pull people through something as devastating as this.

Okay. For today’s interview, I have Hades… from Soul Kissed and Soul Bound (The Moonstone Saga), although he did make an appearance in My Tattered Bonds (The Bloodstone Saga). He’s a dark enigma, the god of the Underworld. And he is certainly fascinating. For those that don’t know, the Hades in my books has a distinct gift of being attractive to anyone near him. It doesn’t matter if you are female or male, you find yourself drawn to him. It’s part of his charm… and his gift. I’ve braced for it today. I’ll be in close proximity with him… the things I do for my readers! 🙂

*******

(To set the stage, Hades is sitting on the sofa in my office. He’s wearing black slacks, a white shirt with unbuttoned french cuffs and polished shoes. He’s got dark hair, dark eyes and his entire persona radiates something dangerous. I’m both immediately put on edge and attracted to him. I sit on the far end of the sofa).

Me: Hades, the last I heard from you was at the end of Soul Bound, when you and Empusa were readying for a war of the gods. I don’t want any spoilers here, for readers who haven’t yet read the book, but can you tell me if Empusa is doing alright? What preparations are you making for war?

Hades: *arches an elegant eyebrow* Why thank you, Courtney. It’s so good to be here. (I grin sheepishly as I realize that I didn’t thank him for being here.) Em is doing very well. She’s strong, like her father, and she is ready to do anything that she must do.

Me: I’m glad to hear that. In Soul Bound, you got to spend quite some time with Brennan, Em’s love interest. Is it safe to say that you came to like him?

Hades: *stares at me* Oh, Courtney, my dear. I would have thought that you would better understand the world of the gods by now. It matters not if I like him. The only thing matters is if I can trust him- and that still remains to be seen.

Me: Okay. Valid point. Can you at least concede that you realize now that Em truly loves him?

Hades: *smiles charmingly and my knees grow weak* I realize that Empusa truly loves him. But the gods are fickle, my dear. We are able to love many.

Me: *smiles back* That may be true, but most of you have someone that you are loyal to, someone that you love the most. I’m sure that is the case for Brennan and Em. And Persephone is that for you. You might stray from her, but you always return to her side. Correct?

Hades: Of course. She’s my wife and I love her. Love is a relative thing.

Me: Um. I think Love is fairly absolute. You either love someone or you don’t. It’s not really relative.

Hades: *shakes head* Oh, dear Courtney. You’re mortal. You don’t understand the vast breadth of everything. Everything is relative, really. Everything is fluid. You will see that someday when you pass into the Underworld.

Me: Well, hopefully that won’t be for quite a while.

Hades: *stares* We’ll see. But when the time comes, you will enjoy my home. It is more beautiful than anywhere in the world.

Me: *politely* Well, I’ll take your word for it for now. Will you be giving Persephone a special gift for the holidays? I realize that the gods don’t celebrate Christmas as we do, but I also know that you enjoy any excuse to celebrate.

Hades: *shakes head* I shower Persephone with gifts throughout the year. She wants for nothing. As soon as she does, I make sure the want is satisfied.

Hades: No. I’m sorry if I’m distracted. But we are planning a war, you know. And I should probably get back to it. I do thank you, dear, for having me here. And I hope you and your readers have very happy holidays.

And he’s gone. Instantly. He just vanished from my office and I’m sure he’s already back in the Underworld. I have to shake my head– because I’ll never get used to that.

So, apparently our interview is finished. I apologize that it ended so abruptly. But Hades is Hades and you never know what he’ll do.

You have a letter from him today though- hidden in the post. Yayyy!! Tomorrow will be the last letter!

Please come back tomorrow– it’s a big day for me. Not only is it the final day of the contest, when you will have the final letter to enter for the prize pack, but I also will be revealing my new leading man– and the cover for his book. I’m really excited about that.

Please also join me today in praying for the victims of the Connecticut tragedy. Hug your kids tight and be thankful for your family.

Don’t forget– each day for this week, I will feature one of my leading men. Each day, there will be letters of a phrase hidden in my post. Collect the letters and on the last day of the contest, submit the phrase so that you are entered to win the Christmas prize pack. It will consist of signed Courtney Cole books, a t-shirt, swag and a $10 Amazon card.

Anywho, I thought that I would kick off the contest with my first leading man…. Cadmus. He stars as the male love interest in The Bloodstone Saga. He will always be one of my favorite characters.

For four books and one novella, Cadmus protected Harmonia as they lived and died a thousand times before they were finally reunited in the end. Theirs is the truest of true love and is a story that stayed with me long after I typed the words, The End. In fact, just the other day, I found myself wishing that I could write something else about them. But the truth is, their story is done. I can’t add anything without dragging it out too long. It ended perfectly. We’ll be have to be content to see them here and there in Em and Brennan’s story.

Their story began in Every Last Kiss (which is free on on Kindle and Nook right now, if you haven’t had a chance to read it!), and ended with the novella, House of Thebes. If you haven’t seen it yet, you will find the Trailer for the Bloodstone Saga to the right in my side bar.

And now, without further ado, I do have a special treat for you today. Cadmus is here to answer a few of my questions. Eeep!

Just so you know, and so that you have a clear image in your head, Cadmus bears a striking resemblance to Joe Manganiello. Yum! The only difference is that Cadmus doesn’t have quite as much beard.

Me: Happy Holidays, Cadmus! Thank you so much for being here. You wouldn’t believe how many ladies have emailed me, wanting more of your story!

Cadmus: *flashes his white grin* Thank you! That’s very flattering. My story has been a good one, hasn’t it? *he laughs*

Me: *nods* Absolutely. Your story is truly one for the ages. Can you tell us how you’ve been? The last we heard, you, Harmonia and little Raquel were living happily ever after in the Underworld. Are things still happy for you?

Cadmus: Lucky for us, the Isles of the Blessed is truly a paradise. We wouldn’t want to leave. We have everything we could possibly want and more. I would say that yes, definitely, we are still living our happily ever after.

Me: Well, you have certainly earned it. The holidays are coming up. I’m sure you don’t celebrate them in the same way that we do, but do you do anything special? Maybe give gifts?

Cadmus: In the Isles, we can have anything, simply by wishing it to be so. We don’t lack for anything. However, I do think that this year, I am going to make it snow for Harmonia and Raquel. Harmonia misses it and Raquel has never seen it. I can’t wait to see her face when she wakes up and the grounds are covered with it.

Me: Raquel or Harmonia?

Cadmus: Both. They’re both adorable when they get excited.

Me: So, is it safe to say that you and Harmonia don’t regret making the decision that you did? To stay in the Underworld so that Empusa could leave?

Cadmus: That is very safe to say. While we’re nervous about what is going on with Empusa right now, we’re all behind her. We will fight to save her. That much is true.

Me: You’ve always been a warrior, haven’t you? *I smile*

Cadmus: Always have been, always will be. It’s in my blood. And Empusa is a good girl. She’s been misunderstood and misused by some on Olympus. But we will put that to a stop soon.

Me: I had forgotten about Empusa’s current situation. Her story isn’t over yet, is it? There’s a war brewing with the gods.

Cadmus: *Nods* Yes. And I’m afraid it’s going to get ugly.

Me: You’re not truly afraid though. You’re never afraid.

Cadmus: *Laughs* You flatter. I’m only afraid of a couple of things…losing those who I love.

Me: *nervous* You don’t think that will happen, do you? You and Harmonia have fought so hard to be together. Surely nothing will happen to disturb that.

Cadmus: We can hope. *he looks grim, which makes me nervous*

Me: Well, I will hope for the best for you all. I’ve grown quite fond of all of you. Thank you so much for being here today, Cadmus. Please give Harmonia and Raquel my love.

Cadmus: *nods* Absolutely. I wish you the happiest of holidays.

And he’s gone. I doubt I will ever become accustomed to the way they can flit in and out of our world, in the blink of an eye. But it was very good to hear from him. I had forgotten about Empusa’s plight. I look forward to seeing what happens with her story later this winter when the Moonstone Saga wraps up with its finale. Ooh- and I forgot tomorrow’s guest is Brennan, Empusa’s love interest. It’s possible that he’ll shed some light on how things are going for Empusa right now, as they prepare to fight the Olympians.

So, stay tuned for more. And to see Brennan and several other of my HOT male characters. And don’t forget, on the last day of the contest, you will see the cover for my next project and you’ll meet my next male character. He’s bad, he’s hot and I have a feeling that you’re going to love him. So come back every day this week. Have a good week, everyone!

The most common questions that I hear all of the time now are “How many books will be in the Minaldi Legacy? And How many books will be in the Paradise Diaries?”

There are three books planned in The Minaldi Legacy. Book two (which is still untitled) has a tentative release date of Winter 2012. Book three will likely release in Spring 2013.

I don’t know yet how many books will be in The Paradise Diaries. Book Two (Mia & Quinn) will release in the Late Fall 2012. I’m thinking that there will be four books, but that is not set in stone.

I also still get the question about how many books will be in the Moonstone Saga. There will be three books. Book One, Soul Kissed and Book Two, Soul Bound are available now. Book Three, Princess of the Night, will likely release sometime in 2013.

I had previously planned on releasing a sequel to Princess, called Glass Castles. I have put that on the back-burner right now. For now, I think I’ll let Sydney and Stephen have their happy ending. I may write additional books for them in the future, but that’s still up in the air.

As far as appearances/signings, I’m planning to stay put for awhile. I’ve got a bunch of writing to get done so I can’t be out participating in shenanigans– as fun as that might be. I’ll let you know if that changes and when my next signing is scheduled.

Soul Bound, book two of the Moonstone Saga, is released today on Kindle. You can find it here on Amazon. The print version will follow in a week or two. I really, really, really hope you like it. 🙂

Here’s the blurb:

The gods are playing games again and this time it’s going to get ugly.

Empusa is the daughter of the goddess of witchcraft and the moon. As a child of the moon, she has all of the ethereal lunar powers that come with it. She is beautiful, vulnerable and strong. But since she is cursed by her father to drink souls and mortal blood, her powers will come back to haunt her…

Brennan is the son of Apollo, the god of the sun. As a child of the sun, he is handsome, golden, brave and strong. He’s just learning to harness his own immortal powers, only there isn’t much time…

There’s an ugly, twisted storm brewing on Olympus and Brennan and Em are in the center of it. Their powers are conflicting, polar opposites. If they can’t learn to handle their abilities without killing each other, they will kill everyone in the mortal world, as well. Time is ticking and the gods are watching. Who will rise, who will fall and who will be left standing?

A friend of mine, M. Leighton (author of a million amazing books), is hosting a giveaway for Soul Kissed and Soul Bound on her blog today. So… go visit her here for a chance to win. She also has the first chapter of Soul Bound posted. Yay!! I hope everyone has an amazing day!

I totally forgot that I was going to reveal the cover today for book two in the Moonstone Saga… SOUL BOUND. So, without further ado…. here it is:

Do you like it? I hope so. And to go along with it… here’s a quick blurb about the book:

The gods are playing games again and this time it’s going to get ugly.

Empusa is the daughter of the goddess of witchcraft and the moon. As a child of the moon, she has all of the ethereal lunar powers that come with it. She is beautiful, vulnerable and strong. But since she is cursed by her father to drink souls and mortal blood, her powers will come back to haunt her…

Brennan is the son of Apollo, the god of the sun. As a child of the sun, he is handsome, golden, brave and strong. He’s just learning to harness his own immortal powers, only there isn’t much time…

There’s an ugly, twisted storm brewing on Olympus and Brennan and Em are in the center of it. Their powers are conflicting, polar opposites. If they can’t learn to handle their abilities without killing each other, they will kill everyone in the mortal world, as well. Time is ticking and the gods are watching. Who will rise, who will fall and who will be left standing?

Soul Bound is coming soon, although I don’t have the exact release date yet. But, you can go ahead and mark it as t0-read on Goodreads here. I’ll let you know more details as I know them.

You may know that I am writing a spin-off series to the Bloodstone Saga, called The Moonstone Saga. The first book, Soul Kissed, is already available on Amazon and I am currently working on the sequel, Soul Bound.

The Moonstone Saga follows Empusa, the daughter of the goddess of witchcraft and the moon. She carries a curse and secrets and a heavy heart because of those very things. She is also beautiful, elegant, graceful and very, very deadly. I’m lucky to have her on my blog today for an interview, but even though I know she’d never hurt me, my heart is racing as I sit across from her.

She is curled up on one of the chairs in my office, dressed in a simple, white dress with her long legs tucked beneath her. Her hair is long and pulled into a simple chignon at her neck. She is drop-dead-take-your-breath-away-gorgeous. I can’t decide what I am more of– jealous or terrified. Deciding not to dwell on either thing, I simply decide to just start the interview. I clear my throat, look at my notes and take a deep breath.

Me: Empusa, do you feel like talking about your curse at all?

Empusa: No, not really. My father traded my soul to gain his own freedom from the Underworld. I’m now cursed to spend my life drinking the blood and souls of mortals until the curse is reversed by Hades himself. What more is there to say?

Me: Excellent point. I think you pretty much covered it. Could you explain your relationship with Brennan to readers who might not have read about you yet?

Empusa: There are readers who haven’t read my story yet? *raises one perfectly sculpted eyebrow* I can’t imagine why. It’s fairly interesting, as far as those things go. But of course I can explain. A long, long time ago, Zeus split everyone’s soul into two. He figured that if everyone was more concerned with finding their other half, they wouldn’t be concerned with overthrowing his throne. Brennan and I are a result of that. He’s my soul mate. I would move mountains for him.

Me: When did you know that he was your soul mate?

Empusa: The first time we met, we knew there was something special there. There was literally electricity in the air when we touched. We figured it out shortly after that.

Me: But there are complications. He’s the son of Apollo– your polar opposite. He’s got the powers of the sun and you’ve got the powers of the moon. If you don’t learn to control your combined power, you could both die… and cause an apocalypse in the mortal world. Right?

Empusa: *shrugs one elegant shoulder* Everyone’s got their baggage.

Me: So, you have characteristics of a siren and a succubus. What is your favorite part of that lifestyle?

Empusa: *stares at me incredulously* Courtney, you must be joking. There is not a single part of that lifestyle that I enjoy. Would you enjoy being beautiful for the sole purpose of luring someone to you so that you could kill them? Seriously, would you?

Me: Of course not.

Empusa: Then why in the world would I?

Me: I don’t know. I guess I thought that there might be some aspects that you might actually like. I apologize, I meant no offense.

Empusa: *settles into her chair and takes a sip of her water* No, no. I’m sorry. I know you meant no offense. I guess I’m just a little bit sensitive. Until this wretched curse is lifted, I’ll remain that way, I guess. Sensitive.

Me: Some might call it bitchy.

Empusa: *glares at me* Don’t push your luck, Courtney.

*I smile at her and continue with my questions, trying to ignore the fact that she could quite literally kill me in one millisecond.*

Me: So, you and Brennan are fighting hard to get your curse overturned so that you have a happily-ever-after. What would that be for you? What is your idea of paradise?

Empusa: My idea of paradise is a life where I don’t have to run and hide from my snake of a father. A life where my life is not dependent on the life of a mortal to sustain it. A life that I can spend with Brennan. That’s all. I don’t really ask for much.

Me: No, I guess you don’t. You want what the rest of us take for granted, I suppose. I’m sorry for that, Empusa.

Empusa: Don’t apologize. You didn’t do this to me.

Me: True. I didn’t. But it doesn’t stop me from wishing that your life could be different.

Empusa: My life will be different. Brennan and I are working hard to make sure of it.

Me: If you had one message to relay to my readers, what would it be?

Empusa: *Stares at me, her gray eyes thoughtful* That’s hard. I would tell them to cherish the ones that they love. To hold those that are loyal to them close. They just don’t know how good they’ve got it.

Me: That’s an excellent message, Empusa, and one we should all remember. Thank you for coming here today. It’s been good seeing you. I can’t wait to learn more of your story.

Empusa: Thank you for having me, Courtney. I can’t wait until you write more of my story. I can’t believe you were worried that I’d hurt you. I would never take your soul. If something happened to you, there would be no one left to finish my story.

Me: Touché. I’d forgotten you could read minds.

Empusa: *Smiles broadly and then uncurls very elegantly from her chair. She glances at me once, then disappears into thin air.*

I take a deep breath and look around. My office was suddenly empty and I was alone. After another moment, my heart slows back down to normal. I really don’t know why I was so nervous in the first place. I knew Empusa wouldn’t hurt me. She only took the blood and souls of people who were sick and dying. She hated having to do it. She would never hurt me. But knowing that and sitting across from a deadly siren/succubus were two different things.

Anyway. I hope you enjoyed the interview. Em is a fascinating character- fun to write and fun to read. You can check her out in Soul Kissed, if you haven’t already. You can find it on Amazon here.

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